With the aim to take stock of developments with observance of Roma women’s rights in Ukraine in partnership with the International Charitable Organization Roma Women Fund “Chirikli”, the Sub-Committee and UN Women jointly organized International Conference on the Roma Women’s Rights in Ukraine, held in Kyiv on 17-18 October 2018. NRC and the project manager received invitation to participate as a speaker in one of the Conference panels that will focus on Roma women “Access to rights and social services (health, education, employment, civil registration)”, which she accepted.

The project manager, Katerina Shojikj, presented information and good practices in the area of providing free legal aid to Roma, advocacy experiencein legislation changes, reporting to UN Treaty bodies, and work on providing access to fundamental rights (personal documentation and civil registration, education, housing – legalization of houses, employment and economic opportunities.

The objective of the conference was to raise awareness about international human rights standards and policies promoting gender equality, on improving the situation of Roma and protection of minorities and to engage participants in a dialogue to come forward with specific recommendations to national, regional and local authorities to address the needs of Roma women and enhance equal rights and opportunities of Roma women.

The project is part of UN Women‘s Regional Program “Preventing Violence against Women in the Western Balkans and Turkey: “Implementing Norms, Changing Minds”, funded by the European Union.